This invention is particularly applicable to a Fender Stratocaster guitar, but it also pertains to any electric guitars (including bass guitars) which consist of three pickups: a bridge pickup, a middle pickup, and a neck pickup. These pickups are physically situated near and underneath the guitar strings (on a Stratocaster, the pickups are mounted to the underside of a pick-guard assembly which in turn is mounted to the guitar body). As such, the pickups get electrical signals induced into them by the vibrating guitar strings. It is desirable to be able to select the different pickups or combinations thereof to get various sounds from the guitar. These electrical signals are then amplified in other external equipment which comprises a sound system.
The factory design of the Fender Stratocaster is such that only five of the possible seven pickup combinations are available. Also, there is limited tone control associated with the bridge pickup (possible only when the bridge and middle pickups are together via the setting of the 5-position pickup selector switch). Hence, there is a need for an improved and simple switching arrangement which allows for all possible pickup combinations, along with simple master volume and tone controls.
This invention is more versatile than prior art because either a 5-position pickup selector switch or a simpler 3-position switch can be used.
This invention is more user friendly than prior art because the volume and tone controls are simpler and the switch functions between the two modes of operation are more symmetric and therefore easier to remember for the guitarist.
When installed into a Fender Stratocaster (and possibly other types of guitars with three pickups), this invention gives cost reductions because it requires fewer and simpler parts than prior art.